Senior House Drama 2014

The 2014 HABS Senior House Drama Competition took place in the evening of October 2nd. Each House performed a piece of theatre lasting from eight to fifteen minutes. A broad range of genres was depicted – from the absurd, naturalistic, and physical, to the psychological, uncanny, and comic. The emotions of the audience fluctuated rapidly from amusement and glee to amazement and fear.

This emotional stimulation was a testament to the quality of performance shown by the actors involved. Each House saved their best performance for the adjudication, at times transcending the purported limits of their performing capacity. As someone who witnessed the rehearsal process of each House, these performances signified the fulfilment of the casts’ potential and the reward for their exceptional work ethic and self-motivation.

The following is a list of the pieces performed:

Joblings – The Bald Prima Donna, Eugene Ionesco
Strouts – Another Country, Julian Mitchell
Calverts – A Disappearing Number, Theatre Complicite
Hendersons – Nameless, Adam Brookes
Meadows – Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, adaptation by Tim Norton from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella
Russells – Rowan Atkinson Sketches, Rowan Atkinson

Mr Josh Seymour, Resident Assistant Director of the Donmar Warehouse, was the adjudicator. His constructive post-performance speech was unanimously lauded for its positivity, humour, and brevity. Owing to the distinct merits of each piece, the adjudication was difficult and pondered at length.

The following is a list of the awards and recipients:

Middle School Actor (Runner-Up) – Isaac Zamet, for his hilarious and observant physical and vocal depiction of the headmaster in Russells’ Rowan Atkinson Sketches.
Middle School Actor (Winner) – Bilal Hasna, for his touching, believable, and mature performance as Ruth in Calverts’ A Disappearing Number.
Senior School Actor (Runner-Ups) – Saif-Abbas Chatoo and Rishabh Shah, for their comic rhythm and sympathetic insight into their characters, Barbara / Aninda and Al, in Calverts’ A Disappearing Number.
Senior School Actor (Winner) – Chris Combemale, for his exceptional vocal precision and physical characterisation of the absurd Mrs Martin in Joblings’ The Bald Prima Donna.
Best Director – Jaspar Kenton, for his ambition, passion, and authority in directing the relentlessly witty and frequently tardy cast of Calverts’ A Disappearing Number.
Special Award – Adam Brookes, for writing, directing, and acting in the Hendersons’ Nameless with courage, clarity, and patience when faced with the realisation of his creative vision.
Best Play (2nd Runner-Up) – Calverts’ A Disappearing Number, a stunning visual and aural sensation, adeptly edited from the full-play by Kenton with more narrative clarity than the original.
Best Play (Runner-Up) – Joblings’ The Bald Prima Donna, an amusing and striking piece of absurd physical theatre, with excellent characterisation and immaculate vocal rhythm.
Best Play – Hendersons’ Nameless, a shocking and captivating psychological war-drama, newly written by Adam Brookes, bringing a few audience members to tears.

Thanks go to Tim Norton, Dawn Morris-Wolffe, and Thomas Eyre Maunsell for their artistic support; Simone Jones for her generosity in supplying appropriate costumes; and Hugh Silver for his unwavering patience, technical mastery, and stoicism in the face of impending cataclysmic disaster (a common premonition during technical and dress-rehearsals). Also,  thanks to the former Graduate Intern Elliot Ross, whose programme template was used unashamedly. Lastly, thank you to those who attended the competition, whose presence acted as the catalyst for the surge of adrenaline in the performers that propelled the event towards its creative heights.